![]() This includes regular exercise - walking, running, and interactive play - and toys that they can play with when you are not around. Keeping your dog engaged over the course of its life is also something you can control as a dog owner. A steady and consistent weight over the course of a dog’s life can also mitigate cumulative respiratory and heart issues, such as congestive heart failure in dogs. Portion control, regardless of brand or type of food, can prevent bloat and obesity in dogs. Under this umbrella, we include diet, exercise, and stress. There are no guarantees when it comes to the life span of a dog, but quality of life is under your control as a dog owner. Dog life span factors that owners can control The difference between the smallest dogs by weight and the largest can be 10 human years. Dogs from 30-50 pounds have shorter life spans, those from 50-90 pounds shorter still, and the shortest-lived dogs are those whose weight exceeds 90 pounds. Dogs who weigh between 20-30 pounds are the longest lived on average, and the scale declines as weight increases. Weight is even more significant when considering the average dog life span. The very largest dog breeds, as well as those who are prone to obesity, tend to live between 6 and 9 years on average. Size, weight and dog life expectancyīased on all the research I’ve done, every source agrees that size and weight are the single most important factors when we ask, “How long do dogs live?” Among small dog breeds (excluding toy and teacup variants) the average dog life span tends to be around 10 years. This leads most articles on the subject invariably to conclude that the dogs with the longest life spans are small, mixed-breed female dogs. Female dogs also tend to live longer than male dogs. Mixed-breed dogs - by which I mean mutts, not the portmanteau-heavy list of designer dogs - not subjected to the narrow constraints of breed standards and pedigrees, come closest to the 13.5 year average dog life span. ![]() General factors such as breed and gender play a part in dog life span. ![]() The vast majority of dogs will naturally fall somewhere between the two extremes, from 8-19 years, for a very simplistic average of 13.5 years. Lists of the longest-lived dogs on record give ages between 20-29 years. The shortest-lived dog breeds are the Bulldog and Irish Wolfhound, which live between 6-7 years, followed by the Bernese Mountain Dog, Great Dane, and Mastiff, which average 7-8 years. The average dog life span can be estimated by the outliers. Even the clichéd concept of “ dog years” is underscored by our knowledge that dogs age faster than humans. The time between whelping and sexual maturity of the average dog is between six months and two years. Regardless of the variables, the average life span of a dog is accelerated in every respect compared to the average human life. The most significant factors are size and weight, though there are a host of others, including gender, breed, and quality of life. There are averages, which we’ll explore below, but there are also a variety of factors that affect a dog life span. What kind of commitment are we talking about? How long do dogs live? A cursory internet search tells us 10-13 years. I’ve often noted that dog ownership is a life commitment, and never one to be entered into lightly.
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